Refrigerating apparatus



Feb 23,1943. c. A. STICKEL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1939 Patented Feb. 23, 1943i REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Carl A. Stickel, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January 28, 1939, Serial No. 253,419

(ci. sz-'49) Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to means for adding moisture to the atmosphere within the food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet.

There is a condition of a relatively dry atmosphere present within the food storage compartment of refrigerator cabinets. This condition is brought about by lowering the temperature of the atmosphere within the refrigerator cabinet by means of a temperature reducing medium which is at a temperature below that of the surrounding atmosphere. This cooling, by the low temperature medium, causes the dew point of the warmer atmosphere to lower, which in turn causes a part of the moisture carried by the atmosphere to condense upon the surface o1' the cooling medium. The removal of this moisture dehumidiiies the atmosphere and places the same in a condition whereby it can pick up more moisture when the temperature thereof is increased by normal circulation in contact with the food articles placed'in the refrigerator cabinet. This tends toward considerable drying of the food articles.

It is an object of my invention to overcome this drying effect of the circulating atmosphere by introducing a small amount of moisture into the atmosphere at selected intervals.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an atomizing device within the food storage compartment of a. refrigerator cabinet which will derive its power for operation from a device normally a part of the refrigerator cabinet which is capable of having motion imparted thereto.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an atomizing device for introducing Briefly, my invention consists of an atomizing device for introducing moisture into a refrigerator cabinet, and is comprised of a pump, a water reservoir, and a spray or atomizing nozzle. The pump of my atomizing device is operatively connected to a normally existing and movable part of the refrigerator cabinet in such a manner that the pump is `operated when the vpart is moved. This .provides a means for imparting powerl to the atomizing device independent of any external connections and without the necessity of adding elements to an already existing refrigerator cabinet structure for creating the power. Since my atomizing device is operativeiy connected to a part of the refrigerator cabinet which may be imparted with motion at selected intervals, moisture will be injected into the atmosphere within the cabinet each time the part is moved. f

In Figs. 1 and 2 I provide a refrigerator cabinet 80 having an inner metal wall 8l which provides an enclosure forming a food storage compartment 82. .This food storage compartment 82 is provided-with an evaporating means 30, for maintaining proper temperature conditions within the compartment. The evaporating means placed within the food storage compartment 82 is adapted to be connected to a refrig- 83, which opening is adapted to be closed by moisture into the food storage compartment of.

a refrigerator cabinet which can be operated concomitantly with movement of a device normaliy a part of the refrigerator cabinet which is capable of having motion imparted thereto.

Further objects and advantages of the present l invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accomvpanying drawing wherein a preferred-.form o Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of" the atomlzing nozzle.

means oi a door 84. A latching mechanism I5 is provided on the door 8! and a strike and keeper 88 is provided on the door opening Il. A latch bolt 8-1 extends from the latch mechanism 8-5 and is adapted to engage the strike and keeper 86L in order to retain the door 84 in a closed position with regard to the door opening 83. A handle 88 extends from the latch mechanism 85 for permitting manual operation of the latch mechanism for withdrawing the bolt 81 from the strike and keeper 86 toperniit opening of the door.

A second means is also provided for removing the bolt 8l from the strike and keeper 80. This means consists of a foot operated pedal pivotally mounted at 8|. A pin 82 engages an extending arm $5, of the foot pedal 90, and an ear 93 extending from the' bottom wall of the refrigerator cabinet 80, thereby providing the pivotal mounting point. 'I'his pedal mechanism is located close to the iioor so that the pedal l0 may be operated by the foot pressure of an operator. The ear 83 to which the foot pedal 90 is pivotally mounted is secured to the lower wall of the refrigerator cabinet 80 by any suitable means such as welding or brazing. A rod 93 is provided within the wall of the refrigerator cabinet and is adapted to extend vertically therein to a point adjacent the latch mechanism 05. The lower end of the rod 90 is provided with an angularly extending arm 04 which engages the extending arm 05 of the foot pedal 90 and is pivotally pinned thereto at 90. A downward movement of the foot pedal 00, about its pivot point 92, willi cause a downward vertical movement of the rod 03. This rod 93 provides an operating link between the foot pedal lever 95 and the latch operating mechanism 05. It also initiates operation of an atomizing device hereinafter described. A spring 91 has one end thereof attached to the arm 95 of the food pedal, at 98, and the other end attached to a bracket 59 secured to the lower wall of the refrigeratorcabinet 80. This spring 01 returns the foot pedal to its normal released position. A stop |00, provided on the rod 93, controls the vertical movement of the rod 93 and the return of the `foot pedal 00.

The upper end of the. rod 93 engages a lever which is pivoted at |02, the lever |0| engaging the rod 93 and being pinned thereto by means of the pin |03. The end |04 of the lever |0| is provided with a cam shaped face and engages a roller carried by a plunger |00 slidably mounted within a cage |00 carried by the door opening frame 83. The plunger |05 extends into the strike and keeper 80, the end thereof engaging the bolt 01 of the latch mechanism 05.

The plunger |05 is normally retained in the position as shown on the drawings by means of a spring |01, which spring presses the roller against the cam face oi' the end |04 of the lever |0|.

My atomizing device comprises a pumping mechanism a water reservoir |25 and a liquid spray nozzle 53a. The elements of my atomizing device have been disclosed within a wall of the refrigerator cabinet adjacent the door opening 03 and in close proximity 'to the latch mechanism 05, however, these elements can be positionedinvany location on the cabinet as long as the atomizing device is so positioned as to inject the spray intovthe food storage compartment.

The pumping mechanism ||0 consists of a cylinder and a piston ||2. A coil spring ||0 is provided between the bottom wall of the piston ||2 and the end wall ||4 of the cylinder for producing a forward stroke of the pistonl ||2 l the rod 53 is imparted'with a downward motion which causes the levery |0| to be pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction around the pivot |02.

This movement of the lever |0| causes the end |04 thereof to move upwardly to force the plunger within the cylinder. A connecting rod i5 has one end thereof attached to the piston ||2, the other end extending beyond the end wall ||4 of the'cylinder The extending end of the connecting rod ||5 is provided with an enlarged head IIB which engages a U-shaped bracket ||1. This U-shaped bracket ||1 has one leg thereof attached to the upper end ot the rad 92 and is riveted thereto as indicated at H0. 'I'he other leg i I0 oi' the bracket ||1 is provided with a fork therein which is adapted to be positioned around the extending end of the connecting rod ||5 and engage the head H6. This bracket ||1 provides an operating connection, between the foot pedal loperating mechanism and the atomizing device ing |21 is provided in the upper end of the water lvided in the head o? the cylinder.

of the water through the valve |20 creates a.A

|00 into vengagement with the bolt 01.01' the latch mechanism I5, thereby forcing the bolt 01 out of engagement with the strike and keeper 05. At the same time, the downward movement of the rod 93 causes the U-shaped member ||1 to pull downwardly on the head ||0 of the piston rod H5, thereby forcing the piston ||2 to move in a downward stroke against the pressure of the spring H3. When the piston |l2 is in its lowermost position within the cylinder the top end thereof will be below the level of the outlet connection |20 between the water reservoir |25 and the cylinder thereby permitting water to drain by gravity from the water reservoir |25 into the chamber between the end ofthe piston and the head of the cylinder.

Upon release of the foot pedal 00-by the operator, the pedal is permitted'to return`to its normal released position as shown on the drawings.

The rod 93 will be moved in an upward direction 'now in the lower-most position of its stroke, the spring H2 will be under compression. The expansion of the spring Il will tend vto force the piston upwardly until the 'end of the piston ||2 engages the head oi' the cylinder I f The pressure thus created upon the water within .the pumping chamber of the cylinder |||L will force the water through a `discharge valvel|20 vpro- The discharge pressure within the chamber'.l2| and the 'pipe |22. The pipe |22 connects the pressure chamber |2| with the atomizing *noz'z'le 53a and is provided for conducting the water from the pressure" chamber to the nomle. Since this chamber and pipe', |2| and |22 respectively, are now under pressure, the water will be forced to exit through the atomizing nozzle in a thin film-like spray passing between the surfaces of the valve 10a and the valve It is thus seen that by the arrangements of my devices, I have provided a means whereby an atomized vapor may be added to or injected into the atmosphere of"a refrigerator cabinet at selected intervals, since the atomising `device is, caused to function each time a movable part of tion, and may be readily installed on any refrigerator cabinet which has a movable part available. While I have shown my devices as being constructed and arranged for cooperation with movement of a door or a door operating mechanism oi' a refrigerator cabinet, the forms of power and operating mechanisms are not limited to these particular sources, Vbut can include any movable part of a refrigerator cabinet which is a normal operating mechanism usually positioned on refrigerator cabinets, and which is capable of having motion imparted thereto either mechanically or by a power driven device.

This application is a continuation in part of my application for Refrigerating apparatus Serial No. 56,987 filed December 31, 1935, now Patent No. 2,149,799, granted March 7, 1939.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Reirigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a door and a door opening, means `for providing latching engagement of said door with said cabinet, means for disengaging the latching engagement of said door with said cabinet, an atomizer within said cabinet, said atomizer being interconnected with said latch disengaging means whereby said atomizer is energized concomitantly with movement oi' said latch disengaging means.

2. Refrigerating apparatus including an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a door and a door opening, latch means for retaining said door irl said door opening, means for cooling the interior of said cabinet including an evaporator operating at a temperature which continuously withdraws moisture from the air circulating within said cabinet to reduce the relative humidity of said air, a liquid atomizing means for providing moisture to the air circulating in said cabinet withdraws moisture from the air circulating within said cabinet to reduce the relative humidity of said air, a liquid atomizing means-for providing moisture to the air circulating in said cabinet to replace the moisture removed from said air by said evaporator and sustain the relative humidity of said air, said means being energized by movement of said latch disengaging means for sprayingsaid moisture within said cabinet.

4. A cabinet having a door opening and a door for closing the opening, latch means for latohing the door and closed position, operating means for operating the latch means and means energized coincidentally with the operation oi.' theoperating means for hydraulically forcing a liquid into said cabinet.

5. A cabinet having a door opening and a door for closing the opening, latch means for latching the door'in closed position, means operated coincidentally with the operation of the latch means for storing potential energy, and means operated by the stored potential energy for hydraulically spraying a liquid into the cabinet.

CARL A. STICKEL. 

